The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help and Crime Stoppers is offering rewards in the shooting deaths of two men killed in separate drug-related incidents early last month.

Watson Earl Chentlen was killed March 6 and Joseph C. MacDonald was killed March 10.

Both men had been recently charged with drug counts: Chentlen faced trial and MacDonald had turned state’s witness.

Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said he couldn’t rule out that the cases were related.

“When you are dealing with drugs you never know how far out the circle extends,” Brown said.

Chentlen, 20, crashed his Cadillac sedan on N.C. 53 at around 11:30 p.m. Responding deputies found that he had been shot in the chest and his driver’s side door had multiple bullet holes.

Investigators are looking for two or three suspects in the crime. The suspects knew Chentlen prior to the shooting, Brown said.

The incident began at Chentlen’s residence in Gainey’s Mobile Home Park.

Four days later, MacDonald, 48, was shot and killed at a mobile home park a few miles down N.C. 53 from where Chentlen died.

He received one gunshot wound while at his residence in Winter Wood MHP.

MacDonald had pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was scheduled to testify against an alleged dealer in a high-profile drug trafficking case the week he died. That case was postponed, but Brown said the trial didn’t hinge on MacDonald’s testimony.

Crime Stoppers of Onslow County is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest or apprehension in either case.

Anyone with information concerning these incidents can contact the Jacksonville/Onslow Crime Stoppers at 910-938-3273 or the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office at 910-455-3113. Callers to Crime Stoppers do not have to reveal their identities. For more information and updates like Crime Stoppers on Facebook at Facebook.com/onslowcrimestoppers.

Contact Daily News Senior Reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8455 or lindell.kay@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter and friend him on Facebook @ 1lindell.